Tags: blood pressure

Hello! So a non-food item to review today, the Omron Blood Pressure Monitor. There will also be a GIVEAWAY for this monitor at the end of the review (now that may make your blood pressure rise!!)

Omron sent me a blood pressure monitor to review for free. It comes nicely packaged in the box, with each component wrapped up separately. It has an option to use plugged in with an AC adapter, or to use 4 AA batteries with. I think this option is great, because there are definitely times when the power goes out (we had a power surge actually AS I write this!) and people need to have their blood pressure taken.

There is a little bit of a setup after batteries are put in/plugged into an outlet. You can input the date and time by pressing the clock button 3 times, and then adjusting the date and time accordingly. You can also bypass this option, but I put it in to store data.

Next, plug in the cuff in the blue circular hole on the side, and you can begin! What I liked about this cuff was that it had a firm circular “tube” set up for your arm, so it takes the hassle of wrapping someone’s or your own arm tight “enough” since there is often material that needs to be overlapped.

My arm slid right in, and I tightened the cuff. The wire connecting to the machine should be on your inner arm, and the cuff should be placed on your left arm, bare skin.

I hit the start button, and within 30 seconds I had my blood pressure. Happy to report good numbers! I am usually 110/70, and that is right where I fell.

I also liked how it gave you a range on the right side for normal numbers, and what would be too high or too low, and gives you your heart rate!

I tried the blood pressure monitor on my roommate as well, and it was also done with ease. He said his diastolic number was a bit lower than usual (a few points), but he just woke up and hadn’t eaten, so we accounted it to that. I *may* have woken him up just to use the machine, don’t judge me!

Overall, I liked this machine! I think it is the best at home use blood pressure monitor I have tried so far. 4 stars

NEXT- giveaway!!!

To win your very own blood pressure monitor from Omron…

leave a comment on this page stating why you would want this monitor.

share this giveaway! On twitter, a blog post, anything, Just use the link and leave a comment saying you did so.

Whether you are dieting, watching your salt intake, or just like to cook, spices and seasonings have the utmost importance when it comes to giving bland foods some flavor (think: chicken breast, egg whites, etc.)

Spike sent me some of their Gourmet Natural Seasonings. Two of my favorites have been the Onion-Magic! and Garlic-Magic! flavors. Both of these are salt free- which is great because I live in a household where high blood pressure is common, and excess table salt is NOT needed. (I actually have LOW blood pressure, and need the salt, but I was interested in trying these out anyway!)

First one up- the Garlic Magic! This one had a very nice garlic flavor. It was not salty, as it is salt free, but what i liked about it was that you could really intensify the garlic flavor in a dish, without adding a load of sodium. So my entire family could eat whatever we seasoned the Garlic-Magic! with, and anyone who wanted additional salt could add it to their own dish. I also liked that it didn’t leave a bad aftertaste or unsettled feeling. Garlic (for me at least) sometimes causes indigestion, and this spice left me feeling good afterwards. I sprinkled it on shrimp and broccoli with a little butter for a nice tasty, salt free, low carb dish!

Next, the Onion- Magic! My mother actually took this one from me she liked it so much (thief!!!). We sprinkled it in mashed potatoes, and then used it on home fries. It was good!! It smelled delicious when it was cooking, and had a pleasant onion flavor, without being salty or overpowering.

Lastly, we tried the 5 Herb- Magic! Again, it was salt free! We sprinkled this one on chicken breast (ugh…I am so SICK of chicken breast! Gotta keep it interesting, right??) I thought it was a great compliment to the chicken. It had a strong flavor from the herbs, but was not overpowering in the slightest. This particular spice blend had rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme and marjoram. I am 100% unsure what marjoram is, but it sounds pretty cool, so there you go 😉

Overall, I think these are worth a try, especially if you have to watch your salt intake. As a total, I give them 4 star rating.